Brock unscrewed the turkey from the wall and plopped himself down in a wooden rocking chair, bearhugging the bird, a wide grin on his face. He traced his finger gently down the spine of the bird as he talked about his greatest passion in life: hunting wild turkey.

 

For most, a turkey serves a purpose on Thanksgiving, but for others, a turkey is a way of life. Brock, a 22-year-old student at the University of Georgia has traveled across the country to hunt wild turkey, harvesting nearly 70 birds in his lifetime.

But Brock is worried.

The state of Georgia, as well as the majority of the country, has seen an alarming decline in the wild turkey population in the last 20 years, troubling both hunters and experts alike.

 Why It’s Newsworthy: A decline in the turkey population highlights a broader issue concerning the overall well-being of the environment. 

“It feels like a loss of a way of life for a lot of us,” said Brock. “This is what our spring is about.”

According to data collected by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), 35,000 turkeys were harvested in 2013. In 2023, only 11,911 turkeys were harvested, which is a nearly 66% decrease over a decade.

“We’ve been concerned about turkey populations in Georgia and our surrounding states for a while now,” said Georgia DNR turkey biologist Emily Rushton.

The History

In the early 1900s, wild turkey nearly became extinct as settlers pushed westward, leaving an estimated 30,000 birds scattered across all of North America. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Georgia researchers began to move turkeys around to forested habitats, repopulating areas leading to a peak in population in the 1990s and early 2000s with over 375,000 birds across the state.

Unfortunately, the glory days of the gobbler seem just a distant memory two decades later.

The Science

The most common measure of the health of the turkey population is the poults, or baby turkeys, per hen, tracked each summer by scientists. Twenty years ago, the DNR reported 3.5 to 4 poults per hen. Currently, there are 1.5 poults per hen. A number Rushton said is simply not sustainable.

“Whatever has been happening with this reproduction issue has been happening all over,” said Rushton, noting the decline is not limited to Georgia.

Many states are seeing a decline. Kansas and Mississippi suspended fall turkey hunting, and scientists in Missouri and Kentucky are also closely studying the trends in population numbers.

Why is this Happening?

Rushton said there is general decline in bird populations, insect populations, widespread habitat alterations and even loss of habitat entirely across the world.

A perfect storm of many factors, she said. Habitat loss, disease and widespread development.

“This is something that the average person should be concerned about,” said Rushton.

Back in Georgia, Brock pushed his turkey call, a small semi-circle device made from rubber and metal, into the roof of his mouth. A series of effortless clucks, yelps and purrs echoed across his living room as he demonstrated how to imitate a hen trying to mate.

In an upstairs bedroom, his roommate responded with a gobble, imitating a male turkey. The house erupts with laughter, but Brock’s smile quickly fades.

“A lot of us could not imagine not being able to go out there on a cool spring morning,” said Brock. “You go to a property where you normally hear 10, and not one answer, it would be heart-wrenching.”

Bennett Ulm is a junior majoring in journalism.